DESCRIPTION (From the application): The goal of the new Cancer Biology Graduate Program at the Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, is to increase the pace of translation of laboratory findings to clinical practice by introducing a new curriculum in cancer biology aimed at providing Ph.D. researchers with both the basic science training they need to be successful bench scientists and with a strong clinical perspective that includes:, connecting the biology of cancer to its clinical presentation, the challenges of clinical treatment, the workings of patient-oriented research, the process of development of Pharmaceuticals, and an understanding of how human physiology influences mode of intervention. The program accomplishes this with a unique integrated didactic curriculum designed by a team of basic and physician scientists that includes: (i) the Cancer Biology Core Course, which transits from a primarily basic science orientation to a more physiology-based orientation, culminating in "disease modules" that reach back to the basic science sections to explore in depth the underpinnings of the natural history, biology, current treatments, and existing model systems;(ii) bench science thesis research;and (iii) a thesis project-related apprenticeship with a Clinical Mentor, who serves as the student's guide to hospital-based academic activities. The faculty of the Gerstner Sloan-Kettering Graduate School are drawn from both the basic science and clinical arms of the Cancer Center.